


Moon

by Autumnalpalmetto



Series: Something Domestic; Ember, Moon, Love [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, POV Multiple, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Therapy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:14:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23944531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Autumnalpalmetto/pseuds/Autumnalpalmetto
Summary: When the school year ends, following the events of Ember, Andrew and Neil work together to create the best life for their daughter that they can. They started as neighbors and now their entire lives are so intertwined they have taken over an entire floor of their apartment building.Neil is starting grad school, Athena is going into second grade, and Andrew is continuing his Exy career.What could possibly be the next step in joining their family together?
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Andrew Minyard & Original Character(s), Katelyn & Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten & Original Character(s), Neil Josten & The Foxes (All For The Game), Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick & Andrew Minyard
Series: Something Domestic; Ember, Moon, Love [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604830
Comments: 53
Kudos: 274





	1. Neil's surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I can't believe it's been a month already. Hope you all are ready for 40 more chapters of our little family.

Andrew put all of their packed bags in the living room the night before they were set to leave for their camping trip. Neil still had no idea where they were going or what they were doing, and Andrew wanted to keep it that way. It was getting harder and harder to keep Athena from telling him, so he tried to distract her as much as possible. Matt’s truck was parked outside of their building, waiting for their early departure. Asking to borrow it had almost ruined the surprise. Matt and Dan’s month-long vacation in the city with Randy happened to perfectly coincide with their camping trip, so Andrew asked to borrow it for two weeks. Matt had texted Neil asking about their trip and why they needed a truck, which had made Neil come to Andrew with the same questions. They had a conversation about trust and whether or not Neil was truly okay with the surprise. Neil said he wouldn’t ask again, but he had slipped up a few times. He got antsy as they got closer to the date. 

As a last-ditch effort to keep Athena from spoiling the secret, and keep Neil from asking where they were going, Andrew took them out to dinner and a movie. It was the last day of first grade for Athena so they had a lot to talk about before they went to the movie, then they couldn’t talk anymore. Athena managed not to fall asleep until the end credits, which was a small miracle by Andrew’s account. He wanted her to get a good night’s rest, but they were leaving at 6 am, so she would have plenty of time to sleep on the drive. After putting her in her bed, Andrew kissed Neil good night and sent him to his bedroom so he could double-check everything he had packed. 

Aaron was picking up food on the way. They had decided to get enough snacks and breakfasts for the whole week on the first day, but they were going to buy lunches and dinners one day at a time so they didn’t have to worry about keeping things fresh. The last thing to pack was the dog food, then they were good to go. Andrew had already taken King to Randy’s for her to watch for the entire summer as he traveled. He found himself going to bed alone, likely for the last time before they came back from Nicky’s wedding in two-and-a-half months. 

He wasn’t sure if he was ready to have Athena and Neil glued to his side for that long, but he didn’t really have a choice. Somehow a graduation camping trip, a wedding, and a visit home had turned into a two-month-long event. Andrew was excited and nervous to see how the summer went. It was the kind of thing that could make or break a relationship. He and Neil were strong enough to survive it, they had to be. Neither of them would be able to return to their old lives if they broke up, they had to work out. Less than a year ago Andrew would have said that was a crazy thought, but six months into his relationship with Neil, he couldn’t even remember what life as a single man was like. He loved his little family, everything about them was more than he had ever hoped for. 

When his alarm went off at 5:30 am, the next morning Andrew cursed everything about their trip. Who in their right mind decided to leave that early in the morning? After taking a shower, he headed over to Neil’s and started loading up the truck while Neil made him a quick breakfast. Athena was still asleep when they finished, so Andrew gently woke her up and carried her down to the truck. By the time they made it out of the city she was asleep again in the back seat, with Zeus’s head on her lap. Neil looked out the window without saying anything their entire drive. It was about three hours long, but within fifteen minutes Neil's leg started bouncing up and down. 

Andrew reached across the cab and pushed Neil’s leg down. “Would you like to know where we are going?”

“No,” Neil said harshly like he was trying to convince himself and not Andrew. “I trust you.”

“You can trust me and still be curious.” Andrew took his hand away and put it back on the wheel. 

Neil finally turned away from the window and looked at him. “We’re camping, right? You packed way too much stuff for a hotel stay.”

“We are going camping with Aaron and Katelyn,” Andrew said, trying to soothe him without giving too much away. “Would you like to know more than that?”

“No.” Neil turned back to the window. “Thank you.”

As they got closer to the campground, signs started showing up, leading them straight to it. Neil missed the first two as he zoned out, but he perked right up when he noticed the third one.

“All better?” Andrew asked.

Neil glared at him. “Yes.”

The campground didn’t officially open until 9 am, and they got there a few minutes early, so Andrew took them to the city a few miles away to get breakfast and let Neil gently awake Athena up. It was surprising that she had slept that long, he’d only seen her sleep past 8 am when she was sick, but it was to be expected after the late-night they had had. Neil claimed that car rides tended to put kids to sleep, anyway. 

“Hey baby bear,” Neil said as he crawled over the center consul to the backseat. “It’s time to wake up.”

Athena opened her eyes and glared at him, expression not at all matching her bright pink fairy pajamas. She looked out the window, frowning at the parking lot. “This isn’t camping.”

“Nope, we’re going to get some breakfast first.” Neil unbuckled her from her car seat and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Are you excited?”

Athena nodded as she hugged him back. Neil helped her change into some real clothes in the backseat, and then they headed into the restaurant. Zeus got a weird look from the hostess, but they were seated without any problems. Andrew had almost forgotten what small cities were like after a year in the middle of New York. Athena talked a mile a minute throughout the entire meal, barely touching her food until Andrew made a no talking until you’re done with your meal rule. She ended up only eating half of it, but he didn’t mind as it gave him a few minutes of peace. At the end of the meal, Neil snuck to the front and paid while Andrew took a phone call from his brother. When they left they went straight to the campground to meet up with Aaron and Katelyn. 

Andrew pulled the truck up right next to his sleek black sports car he had given to his brother when he moved to the city. Originally he had wanted to keep it, but putting a car like that in a parking garage, only to be driven a few times a year, was a crime. They’d spent all of their mother's life insurance money on it, so it was only right that Aaron would get it if Andrew couldn’t keep it. He climbed out of the truck and went to his car, gliding his hand over the dust-covered paint after such a long drive. Andrew wasn’t the type of person to miss physical possessions once he no longer had them, he had kicked that habit as a small child moving from home to home. However, this car wasn’t a little trinket to be forgotten. It was the first thing and the most expensive thing he had ever bought himself. It was a sign he was going to move up in the world, no matter what anyone said. 

“Did you miss your car?” Aaron mocked. “You saw it in November.”

Andrew glared at Aaron, turning back to the car when Neil sent him a questioning look. 

“Is this your car, Daddy?” Athena asked. 

“It used to be, now it’s Aaron’s.”

“It’s pretty.” Athena bounced up and down as she looked at the campground. “Can we go camping now?” 

She forced Andrew to turn away from his car as she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the entrance. The campground he had chosen for this event was half a camping spot and half an amusement park. It had a giant pool, daily events for all ages, and bouncy castle water slides that they set up sometimes. Andrew figured it would have things for all of them to do without ever getting bored. For the first week, Andrew booked a lot in the far corner for them to set up their tents, for the second week he booked a cabin in the center of the park, allowing them quick access to all the amenities. Neil looked around the entrance in awe that turned to confusion as he took in just how many things were on the sign. 

“This is the coolest campground I have ever seen,” Katelyn announced as they walked to the office to check-in. 

Neil looked around the area. “I’m not sure if this counts as camping.”

“Hold your judgment until you see what I’ve booked, thank you,” Andrew asked. 

He made them wait outside in the morning heat as he checked in, then took them back to the cars so they could drive over to the campsite and set up. He had booked a site big enough for them to set up two ten-person tents facing each other and have an 8 by 8 canopy set up between them for extra shade. It was a site meant for a significantly bigger group than theirs, but Andrew didn’t feel guilty taking it up. He wanted Athena and Neil’s first camping trip to be perfect. They had a small freestanding grill and a picnic table in their site as well, giving them a place to sit and eat. There was an area for a small campfire in the middle of their site to finish it off.

With all four of the adults being on the shorter side, it took a lot more effort to get the giant tents up than he had expected. They could have done with smaller ones, but that wouldn’t have given them their own separate areas for privacy. In their tent, they zipped the dividing wall up to give Athena a separate space, while Aaron and Katelyn kept their space open. 

Once the tents were up and everything was unloaded they all loaded up in the cars and drove them back to the parking area. They walked side by side through the campground, checking out all the different activities. There were daily crafts for children, workshops for adults, and swimming classes for all ages. Athena eyed the pool and the playground as they walked past, looking at all the kids already enjoying the accommodations. 

Andrew let Athena drag him around, ‘showing’ him everything there was to see, while Neil got their tent sorted out. He let Athena play on the playground, running around with other children and making friends faster than anyone he had ever seen. By the time he called her back so they could go get something to eat for lunch Athena had already introduced him to five of her friends and he had signed at least a dozen autographs from people amazed that Andrew Minyard was at their campground. He politely asked people not to put the pictures on the Internet until after they left, for safety reasons, but he was sure at least one would be up by the end of the night.

Athena grabbed his hand and dragged him back to their site. She was surprisingly good with directions for her age, probably due to growing up in the middle of New York City. 

Back at their campsite, Neil and Aaron had sandwiches ready to go. Neil was sitting out in a lawn chair, lounging like he didn’t have a care in the world. Andrew had thought it would take a lot longer than one morning to get him to relax this much. Zeus sat at his feet, enjoying the slight breeze in the shade provided by their little awning. 

“Welcome back,” Neil said when he saw them coming. “Did you two enjoy your adventure?”

The June heat was enough to make Andrew send him a glare. He and Athena both went through an entire water bottle while at the play structure for only an hour and a half. 

“Yeah.” Athena walked over and climbed on his lap, laying back against his chest. “I played pirates and made a million new friends and later they're making bracelets, can I go?”

Neil looked toward Andrew, raising an eyebrow. “We’ll have to wait and see what else Andrew has planned for the day.”

“Okay.” Athena looked let down by the answer, yet hopeful. 

She accepted her sandwich and ate it without getting her own chair. Neil was used to this kind of thing, he had been a parent for nearly seven years, but Andrew didn’t understand how he could put up with it in the heat. Running hot, Neil complained about Andrew making him overheat when they snuggled together in their air-conditioned apartment. There was no way he was more comfortable outside in the heat with a child on his lap.

Andrew pulled up a chair and sat down next to them, around the unlit fire. Katelyn was the only one of them who had ever been camping before so she must have been the one who set it up, getting it ready for the evening. Aaron watched them from the corner of his eye, not being obvious about it, but close enough that Andrew knew it was happening. 

“What’s for dinner?” Neil asked as he looked out over their space. 

“Katelyn’s going to make us camping food this week,” Andrew announced.

He had held off telling Neil until he asked because he knew that he would be against it. Neil, who had his healthy, home-cooked dinners planned out at least a week in advance, having to eat camping food for a week was something Andrew was looking forward to. 

“Which means?” Neil asked. 

“I do not know what she has planned, ask her.” Neil sent him a look over Athena’s head. “You are not allowed to cook this week. This is your graduation present, time to relax.”

“I like cooking, it is relaxing.”

“Too bad. Maybe if you ask Katelyn nicely, she’ll let you help.”

“Katelyn’s taking a nap right now.”

“Well, I guess we will have to ask her later, then.”

Neil groaned and stuck his tongue out at him. Athena missed it, but Aaron didn’t. Aaron sent him an amused look, smiling as he enjoyed their little bickering. 

As soon as Athena was done eating, she shot out of her seat and tried to pull Neil up by his hand. “Can we go swimming?”

Neil looked toward Andrew with wide eyes.

“Why don’t you go put your swimsuit on,” Andrew suggested. “Then we can put on some more sunscreen and check out the pool.”

Athena let go of Neil’s hand and headed into the tent, digging through her suitcase to find what she was looking for. Andrew walked over and zipped the tent up to give her some privacy to change, then turned toward Neil.

“What’s wrong?” Andrew whispered to him, stepping close enough that no one else would be able to hear. 

Neil chewed on his lip. “I can’t teach her how to swim, I don’t know how to swim.”

Andrew bumped their shoulders together. “They offer lessons here, and I know the basics. At least enough to get her through this camping trip. When we get home, we should put her in swimming lessons.”

“I wasn’t allowed to do stuff like that as a kid. I’ve never been swimming before.” Neil ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “As I got older I just used my scars as an excuse to get out of it.”

“Wear a shirt,” Andrew said, sending him what he hoped was a comforting smile. “I can teach you the basics too. Katelyn is a good swimmer, maybe she can teach you something more impressive tomorrow.”

It took until Athena came out of the tent, dressed and ready to go before Neil decided to come along. While he got changed Andrew smothered her in sunscreen, then took his shirt off and covered himself, too. When Neil came out Andrew headed in to put his swim trunks on. 

The tent was laid out well, Neil put their six-inch thick memory foam mattress pad at the far end of the tent, lining the wall on the way back with their suitcases, and hanging a lantern from the hook on the ceiling. Andrew slightly unzipped the dividing wall to see the same setup on Athena’s side, with her stuffed animals on her sleeping bag. Finding his trunks was an easy task, and Andrew changed in no time. He exited the tent to find his family waiting to go, Aaron and a yawing Katelyn included. 

They headed down to the pool as a group, bringing extra water bottles and sunscreen with them. Katelyn jumped in the pool, waking herself up, then dragged Aaron in by grabbing his hand and pulling when the lifeguard wasn’t looking. Andrew led Athena to the shallow end, getting her comfortable with water that came up to her chest before getting her started on any sort of lessons. She splashed around, playing with the pool noodles they provided. Neil was less sure about getting in, even with Zeus sitting at the edge and watching over him. Andrew wondered if they trained Zeus to save people from drowning, he was so bonded with Neil that Andrew had no doubt he would try even if he wasn’t trained. 

Neil went exactly as far as Athena did, never passing her, even when Katelyn tried to get him to swim with her. When Athena took another step, so did he. Andrew started coaxing her out farther into the water, until she was standing on her tippy toes to keep her head above the water, just to see what Neil would do. Neil watched closely but trusted Andrew to keep her safe, even as he looked more and more concerned. As she took another step Andrew grabbed her arm to keep her up. 

“Okay buggy, ready to swim?” he asked, letting go of her arm when she said yes. 

She kicked her legs and flapped her arms, managing to stay up for a moment. A soon as she started to go down Andrew caught her arm again. Neil watched it happen with a tight jaw, flinching every time something he didn’t like happened. 

“Good job!” Andrew pulled her closer, holding her on his hip as he took a few more steps until he had to kick to stay up. “Do you see what I am doing?”

Athena looked down, watching him. “How come you’re staying up?”

Andrew kept his other arm out, waving back and forth in the water to keep him balanced. “I’m swimming. Do you want me to show you?”

He started by asking her to hold her breath and put her head under the water so she wasn’t scared of sinking, then moved onto showing her how to float. She listened to everything he said, soaking it up and enjoying her time in the pool. By the time they were ready to get out, she was asking to get to the real swimming. Neil had watched the entire thing without comment, staying close enough to grab her if he needed to, but not close enough to get in the way. 

They left shortly after that, making it in time to catch the end of the bracelet activity before heading back to camp.

That night after Athena was tucked away in the tent fast asleep, they lit the fire and sat together. Everyone was exhausted after the heat and the pool, ready to head to bed before the sun was even down. Katelyn and Aaron headed off to shower, leaving Neil and Andrew alone together for the first time all day. 

“I want to take Athena to the pool alone tomorrow,” Andrew said as he roasted marshmallows. “She will pick up on your fear of the water.”

Neil sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. “I know. There’s just so much that can go wrong in a pool.”

Zeus plopped his head down on Neil’s lap, closing his eyes and sighing when Neil ran his hand over his ears. Like owner, like dog. Andrew had never understood the idea that people look like their pets, even now that made no sense, but Neil and Zeus acted similarly. The deep sighs they both gave were chillingly similar. 

“I will be right there with her, as will every other parent in the pool, and the eight fully trained lifeguards on duty at all times.” Andrew took his marshmallow off the stick and blew on it. “She needs to learn how to swim.”

“I know that.” Neil snapped. “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault.”

“What are you frustrated with?” Andrew asked, plopping the sugary goo in his mouth.

“Myself,” Neil whispered. 

“Neil, no one taught you how to swim, that is not your fault.” Andrew leaned over to bump their shoulders together, nearly toppling his camping chair in the process. “I can teach you how to swim too, I just want to make sure she is safe around water first.”

“Okay,” Neil said too quickly, looking away from Andrew.

“That is not the only thing bothering you,” Andrew said. 

Neil looked him in the eye, jaw tight and lip raised. “I should be the one teaching her how to swim and how to ride a bike and whatever else normal kids do. But I can’t because I don’t know how.”

“Well, good thing we are a team then.” Andrew tried not to show his surprise that Neil didn’t know how to ride a bike either, he tried not to think about it too. Focusing on the normal things Neil missed out on in his childhood would just make him mad. “I can teach both of you.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Neil said, voice low and defeated. 

“I do not have to, I choose to.” Andrew got up and pulled Neil into the tent, zipping it up behind Zeus when he trotted in after them. 

They had brushed their teeth when Athena did, which was going to have to be good enough, ignoring that they ate marshmallows after that. Neil stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the sleeping bag, holding it open for Andrew to follow after him. It had been hot all day, but the temperature dropped at night, Andrew dressed in warm pajamas before climbing in. He held off telling Neil he would freeze dressed like that, opting to snuggle up with him instead. 

The next few days followed the same pattern. Someone took Athena to the park in the morning, where she played with her friends until it got too hot for the adult she was with to deal with, then they came back to eat lunch and change into swimming clothes to go cool off for a while. After that they came back and hung out as a family, playing games and cooking dinner for the rest of the evening. 

Athena usually had a rest time after swimming, where she went in the tent and played alone for a while, falling asleep for a small nap after using all her energy playing all day. While she did that, Andrew stole Neil and took him to the pool. Andrew made Neil do all the same things Athena did, but Neil was a much less willing participant. He would catch himself when he started to slip under, instead of letting Andrew guide him back to what he was supposed to be doing. Instead of relaxing into floating, he tensed up, making it significantly more difficult for him to learn how to do it. Neil got frustrated with himself, which meant Andrew had to have enough patients for the two of them. 

Katelyn decided to try her hand at helping him too, which went a little easier. It was frustrating to see her help more than he was able to, but it was also nice to know that he could count on his family to pick up the slack. Neil getting help from Katelyn instead also gave him insight into how Neil was feeling watching him teach Athena how to swim instead of being able to do it himself. 

On the fourth night, they climbed into bed, kissing lightly for the first time in days as Neil used it as an apology for his frustration throughout the swimming lessons. 

“Just kissing,” Neil said as he caught his breath. 

“Athena is literally sleeping on the other side of a thin fabric wall,” Andrew whispered in his ear. “I wasn’t expecting anything.”

Neil chuckled. “Just making sure we’re on the same page.”

Andrew caught him in another slow kiss, one that kept going until they drifted off to sleep a few minutes later. 

Andrew and Aaron took Athena to the park together the next morning. So far every adult had taken her alone, but no one had gone as a team. When Aaron or Katelyn took her, Neil and Andrew used the alone time to sit together and have a rare slow morning. At the park they settled down in the grass, enjoying the sun before it got too hot to move, and watched Athena run around with her friends. How she had so much energy so early in the morning, Andrew would never know. 

She bounded after other children as they played tag, then ran away from them when it wasn’t her turn to be ‘it’ for nearly an hour. 

“How’s life?” Aaron asked without looking at him. 

“Hot as fuck,” Andrew answered. 

He wasn’t going to give Aaron anything more than he asked for. If Aaron wanted a bonding moment, he needed to say as much. Andrew wasn’t against telling his brother things, he was simply a private person willing to share only what others needed to know.

Aaron finally looked at him. “How are things with Neil?”

“Things are going well as far as I know. Ask him how he feels, maybe he will have a different answer.” Andrew waved at Athena as she looked over at him. 

“Your six-month anniversary is in a few days,” Aaron said, hinting at something. “Any plans?”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Because a two-week camping trip is not enough?”

“The two-week camping trip is a graduation present, not an anniversary present.” Aaron stared at him as Andrew watched Athena run around. “Are you even going to mention it to him?”

“Not unless he brings it up first.”

Aaron sighed, finally turning back to watch Athena play. “Do you think you’ll make it another six months?”

Andrew didn’t even have to think about that to answer it. “Yes.”

“Good.” Aaron huffed out a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. 

When they got back to the campsite Katelyn and Neil were just returning from their early morning swimming lessons. Katelyn sang praises of how far Neil had come in just a few days, making Andrew long to get in the pool with him and see it for himself. It was hard to really do anything at the pool with Neil other than just teach him techniques because of all the prying eyes watching The Knight’s Goalie, Andrew Minyard teaching someone how to swim. The fact that he was also teaching Athena helped his image, otherwise, rumors might be swirling. Neil had said he didn’t want their relationship public, and Andrew had to agree. There was a difference between everyone in their lives knowing, and the entire world knowing. All either of them wanted to do most of the time was to be close to each other, but there was no way to do that with so many people around. 

Andrew made Athena a sandwich for lunch, sitting down and letting her climb on his lap to eat it. Aaron had gotten a couple of tarps to hang on the two open sides of the canopy, the ones not up against the tents, to give them more privacy. It allowed Andrew to be more openly affectionate with his little family than he normally was in public. Not that he and Neil did anything overly affectionate in front of Aaron and Katelyn. It was just nice to be able to run his hand across Neil’s arm or lean on him without worrying about outing themselves. 

Somehow Andrew got roped into making dinner with Katelyn. They stood around the grill and cooked nice stakes Katelyn had picked up at the store earlier in the day. Andrew was stuck eating salad for the night since Katelyn hadn’t picked anything else up for him. There was no way for her to know, Andrew hadn’t even directly told Aaron he didn’t like meat, but it was still frustrating. They held fast to their rule that Neil wasn’t allowed to cook, and Aaron was a terrible cook, so when Katelyn needed help Andrew had to be the one to do it. He was lucky she was willing to take on so much of the cooking in the first place, so he kept his mouth shut about it. 

“So Andrew,” Katelyn said as she flipped a stake. “How are you liking your first camping trip?”

“What is going on here?” Andrew asked. “This morning Aaron was asking me how things are going and now you are asking me if I enjoy camping.”

“Am I not allowed to ask my dearest brother-in-law questions now?” Katelyn sent him a pout, exaggerating it to the fullest extent her face allowed. 

“I am going to be extremely happy when you leave in two days,” Andrew said as he walked away.

Katelyn’s laugh followed him all the way to the tent where he found Aaron and Athena reading together surrounded by all of Athena’s stuffed animals while Neil and Zeus listened intently. 

Neil looked at him with a knowing smile, implying something similar had happened to him throughout the course of the day. Katelyn had definitely had enough time to interrogate him while swimming, and Aaron had been left alone with him and Athena while they cooked. Andrew rolled his eyes at their obvious plays. Over dinner, he started asking Katelyn and Aaron about their wedding plans as payback. 

“Six months until the wedding,” Katelyn said, smiling brightly. “I can't wait. Time has been dragging by since Aaron proposed.”

“December 22nd can’t come fast enough,” Aaron agreed.

Neil burst out laughing while Andrew processed what his brother had said. 

“What’s December 22nd?” Andrew asked.

Aaron sent him a look. “Our wedding day.”

“No,” Andrew said sternly as Neil laughed even more.

“No? We literally booked the venue six months ago, we can’t change it now. You’re my best man, you have to be there.” Aaron hid it well, but Andrew could see the worry settling over him. 

“Andrew’s mad because that is our anniversary,” Neil managed between laughs. 

“Oh my god, that’s so sweet.” Katelyn clapped her hands together. “You two are going to have the same anniversary.”

“No.” Andrew shook his head. “No. Neil, we are changing it to the 24th.”

“If you want your anniversary to be the 24th, I can’t stop you.” Neil raised an eyebrow at him in a clear challenge. “But mine is the 22nd.”

“Neil.”

“No. I’m not changing it.” The set of his jaw told Andrew this was a losing battle, but he refused to give up just yet.

“Neil,” Andrew tried again, letting some emotion into his voice.

Neil sighed. “I am not changing my anniversary that we agreed on months ago just because you don’t want it to be the same day as your brother’s.”

Andrew slouched down in his chair. “Neil.”

“Hey Athena,” Katelyn said standing up and offering her her hand. “Want to come help Aaron and I clean out the charcoal from the grill?”

Athena looked up from her plate, tuning back into the conversation she had been ignoring. When Neil nodded at her, she jumped up and took Katelyn’s hand, following behind her. Aaron sent them an apologetic look as he got up and started to clear the table before joining them. 

Neil got up and went into the tent, waiting in the doorway for Andrew and Zeus. Once inside, they went to their bed and sat down, snuggling close together despite the heat.

“I like our anniversary,” Neil said as he ran his hand through Andrew’s hair. “What’s wrong with having the same anniversary as your brother?”

“Nothing,” Andrew ground out.

“Nothing?” Neil asked.

When Andrew didn’t answer Neil wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him down onto their makeshift bed. Once they were both lying down Neil snuggled up to him and ran his nose over his ear. 

“I don’t like it when you pretend something’s not bothering you when it clearly is,” Neil whispered in his ear.

“It is my problem, not yours.” Andrew didn’t care about his birthday—which he shared with his brother—or Christmas or any other ‘special day’ but he did want to have their anniversary to themselves. It wasn’t something he could explain. He just wanted to have one special day, just for Neil and himself, without Aaron getting involved. “I will get over it.”

Neil hummed in his ear, throwing a leg over his hips and using it to pull him as close as possible. “Why don’t we have two anniversaries? One on December 22nd and one on the 24th. Or we could do a three-day celebration and throw in the 23rd just for fun.”

“Why?” Andrew rolled his eyes at Neil’s nonsense answer to their predicament. 

“Is it about sharing with someone or specifically sharing with your twin brother?” Neil asked. How fast Neil could cut through the crap and get to the heart of the problem should annoy him, but it was incredibly useful when he didn’t feel like explaining himself. Or when he couldn’t quite figure out how to. 

Andrew turned his head and rubbed their noses together, which Neil somehow found an answer in. He smiled lightly and tilted his head up to kiss Andrew. 

“We should do a three-day celebration, babe,” Neil said as he broke the kiss. “Beat them at their own game.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “I do not believe that an anniversary is a competition.”

“It is, and we are going to win.” Neil kissed him again to prove his point. 

They went out and joined their family a few minutes later, soaking up the remaining time with Aaron and Katelyn before they had to leave. They were smart enough not to bring up the anniversary conversation before they left, but Andrew knew he would have to talk to Aaron about it, eventually. 

The next two days were filled with as much family bonding as they could pack in, up until the last moment when they had to give in and pack up the tents. Andrew helped his brother shove everything in his car as Neil and Katelyn moved all of their stuff into the cabin they were going to stay in for the rest of their trip. Athena decided to check out the cabin with her dad, leaving Andrew alone with his brother. They worked in silence, as they always did.

“Call me when you get home,” Andrew said as he threw the last bag in the trunk. It was the closest thing to 'I care about your safety' that Andrew could say. The cabin meant electricity, which meant he could charge his phone and eat meals without having to send someone to the store every day. 

Aaron nodded. “I will.”

“Thanks for coming with us.”

“Thanks for inviting us. I wish we could stay longer, but getting an entire week off was hard enough with the time we have to take off for the wedding too.” Aaron slammed the trunk shut and turned toward Andrew. “I know you and Neil are still new to this, but Katelyn and I learn a lot about relationships from you two.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes as he tried to find another meaning in that, giving up after a second and accepting it for the compliment it was. “We learn shit from you too.” 

Aaron smiled like Andrew had said something spectacular. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Aaron climbed in the car and drove it over to the little cabin, parking in front so they could run inside and check it out. 

“Look, Daddy,” Athena said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. “Bunk beds!”

Throughout the camping trip, Athena had only called him daddy when they were alone. Without even being asked, she had done it all on her own. Neil and Andrew were waiting until they got back home to see if she still did it then, and if she did, they would talk to her about it. While they were not ready to go public, neither of them wanted her to think they were doing anything wrong. If she wanted to claim Andrew as her dad, she was allowed to, no matter where they were at. 

“I know,” Andrew said with as much excitement as he could shove into this voice. “Do you want to sleep on the top bunk?” 

“Yeah!” Athena dropped his hand and climbed up the latter. “Uncle Aaron, look.”

“Wow, look at you.” Aaron went and stood next to the bed, showing her how it was taller than him. Like the top bunk being higher than five feet tall was something special. 

After they helped Athena get her bed set up they all said their goodbyes and sent Aaron and Katelyn on their way home. Andrew was man enough to admit that he truly loved his brother, and maybe even Katelyn, but an entire week with them camping was too much. He was happy to be alone with Neil, Zeus, and Athena once again. He was less happy about cramming into the bottom bunk with Neil to go to sleep, but he made it work. 

They kept the same routine the following week. Andrew and Neil took Athena to the playground in the morning before it got too hot to run around, they came back for lunch and some quiet time before heading down to the pool to swim. Once they came home, they all showered one at a time, enjoying having their own private bathroom instead of having to walk down to the public ones shared by every so many camping sites. Then Andrew and Athena helped Neil cook dinner in their private little kitchen. 

By the end of the first night, Neil decided that he enjoyed camping a lot more in the cabin and Andrew was already thinking about finding a bigger one to fit them all better next year. As much as he had enjoyed sleeping in the tent, he had to agree that the cabin was better, if only he had booked one with a better bed situation. Athena didn’t care either way, as long as she had both of her dads paying attention to her all day she was happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Talk to me on Tumblr](https://autumnalpalmetto.tumblr.com/) my ask box is open  
> [Talk to me on twitter](https://twitter.com/autumnalhogwart)  
> I do things like update everyone on the schedule and answer questions on both of those.


	2. A Month At Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .

They only had a few days between coming home from the camping trip and leaving for the Browning’s house. Just long enough to wash their clothes and put away their camping gear. Matt and Dan were settling into the city for another month because Dan refused to return to their home without air conditioning while she was pregnant, so Neil talked them into giving the truck up for an entire month. 

Neil took Athena to the park to play with her friends while Andrew sorted through their apartments and packed for their next trip. It didn’t seem like an equal division of labor at first, but Andrew was burnt out on people and needed some time to himself. Nonstop parenting for two weeks on the camping trip was incredible, he felt like he learned a lot about Athena and himself, but it also taught him that he was leagues behind Neil when it came to being in charge of another person. Having to always be on guard was not as simple now as it had been in the past. 

Six months into his relationship with Neil, and one year into knowing Athena, did not mean he always knew what he was doing. A lot of the time he was making it up as he went along. Neil said he was faking it too, but Neil’s faking it looked like success while Andrew’s faking it looked like meltdowns and tantrums. To be fair, that had only happened once during the trip, but it stuck with him more than anything else. Handling a child throwing a fit was a lot more work than Neil made it look. 

So, Andrew packed their bags while Neil kept Athena out of the way. In general, Neil used the time after Athena went to bed to relax when she was overwhelming, that wasn’t enough for Andrew, he needed to be away from her and not in charge of anyone other than himself. He rubbed his hand over his face and cursed himself for even thinking that. She deserved more than he could give at the moment. 

That night when she snuggled up to him, falling asleep in his lap, all the tension melted away. Sometimes things would get overwhelming, but it was all worth it. Andrew was thankful that he had Neil as a role model, someone who reminded him it was okay to get overwhelmed. It was ironic because Andrew had once told Neil he needed to ask for help—before they even started dating—and now he was the one who had forgotten to lean on his partner. 

Andrew carried Athena to bed, kissing her head when he placed her down, then returned to Zeus and Neil on the couch. Neil welcomed him with open arms, and Andrew sat on his lap facing him. They wrapped their arms around each other and sat silently for a few moments, enjoying the peace. 

“Long day?” Neil asked eventually. 

Andrew sighed into his neck. “I didn’t realize how exhausted I was from camping until I got home and stopped moving.”

“Sleeping alone gave you too much time to think?” Neil sounded playful as he spoke directly into Andrew’s ear. 

“More like spending an afternoon alone.” Andrew hugged Neil tighter and kissed behind his ear. “Parenting is a lot.”

Neil rubbed his hand over his back in circles. “I know. You’re doing great.”

“Doesn’t feel like it,” Andrew mumbled. 

“Doesn’t feel like it? You must be upset if you’ve started using contractions.” 

“I am not upset.” That was true, he wasn’t upset, just tired. 

Neil kissed his shoulder. “It gets easier, but we’re all making it up as we go along. I’ve just had more time to make things up and figure out what works.”

Andrew groaned and Neil let the conservation drop. They sat like that for a little while longer until Andrew started to doze. Zeus shimmied closer, pressing himself against their legs as he settled in. Neil woke Andrew up sometime later, he hadn’t meant to fall asleep sitting like that. His knees and hips popped when he stood up, drawing out a groan. 

“Go get some sleep,” Neil said as he stood up too, pulling him in for a good night kiss and sending him on his way. 

Sleeping alone was rough, as he’d known it would be after two weeks sleeping with Neil. Adjusting after the summer was going to be difficult, Andrew had no idea how they would go back to their one night a week rule. He woke up multiple times throughout the night, finding himself reaching for the warmth of Neil or Zeus and coming up empty-handed. Luckily, it was the last night he was going to be sleeping alone for the foreseeable future. 

The next morning, July first, Andrew headed back to Neil’s apartment to help load the truck up and get going. They were leaving at 9 am this time, and the traffic was worth those extra hours of sleep. Neil complained about it, saying leaving earlier would have saved them the hassle, but Andrew wouldn’t hear it. By the seventh time Athena asked if they were there yet, and the third potty stop in an hour, he had to agree. Sleeping in was not worth the hassle of traffic and Athena being awake for the drive.

Neil drove because he knew where they were going, so Andrew got to enjoy the views the entire way. He had never been to the countryside before, littered with farms and wide-open fields. Athena got quieter as they drew near, she hadn’t been there in two years, yet she still seemed to remember their home. Andrew had asked about why they didn’t go back last summer and Neil had used his internship as an excuse, claiming they had visited him in New York around his finals for a few days. 

If Neil was nervous about going home he didn’t show it, he looked perfectly as ease behind the wheel as the miles passed by. 

“We’re here,” Neil said as he pulled into a gravel drive leading to an old farmhouse.

An old red pickup truck was in front of an even older barn behind the house, with a new shop settled in next to it. There was a field, but it didn’t go far as the forest closed in on it, cutting it off. Andrew had gone back in time fifty years when they turned into the driveway. It was the type of place that was in a hallmark movie, not real life. 

Neil pulled in next to the other truck just as Deb and Ken walked out the back door. Having only seen them on video, they were not what he expected. Deb was walking with a cane, which Neil said she only needed on bad knee days, as her husband walked next to her, only slightly taller than she was. Her hair had always been up during their chats, now it was clear that it was long, black, and unruly. Neither of them looked like the kind of people to own a cute little farm.

“Help,” Athena called from her seat as she fought against the seatbelt. She was able to undo it herself, but her excitement got in the way. 

Andrew climbed out of the truck and opened the door, reaching in to undo her belt. When she was free, she latched on to him and let him carry her out of the car. 

“Dee-Dee,” Athena yelled in his ear as she wiggled free, running up to Deb and jumping on her. “I missed you.”

Deb wrapped her in a hug and picked her up. “I missed you too, sweetheart.” 

Neil walked around the car, looking light and happy. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“Great, why don’t we go get lunch started?” Deb asked him. “The other two can bring in your bags.”

Neil bumped his shoulder into Andrew’s as he started to follow her into the house, leaving him alone with Ken. Zeus trotted past him, having jumped out of the truck himself, and Athena waved to him as Deb carried her in. Alone on a farm with a big ex-FBI agent, that wasn’t intimidating at all. Andrew hadn’t bothered to worry about ‘meeting the parents’ because he had already met them over video calls, but the worry crept in now that he was alone with him. 

Ken walked over and held his hand out. “Kenneth.” 

“Andrew.” They shook hands in a stilted, overly formal way. “Is this the part where you tell me you have some kind of special FBI training where you can kill me and leave no trace behind?”

Ken chuckled. “You already know that, what’s the point of bringing it up again.”

“True.” Andrew walked around the truck and opened the tailgate.

He grabbed the first suitcase, while Ken grabbed the other two that Andrew and Neil both would have had to climb into the bed to reach. They carried them inside and left them by the back door as they went back for a second trip. 

When they were done they found the other three in the kitchen making sandwiches and chatting together. Andrew leaned against the doorway and watched as Neil and Deb moved around each other while Athena sat on the counter kicking the cabinets in a way he knew would drive Neil mad at home. Ken walked over and kissed his wife’s hair as he stole a pickle. Neil turned around, smiling when he caught sight of Andrew. He held out his hand to him, and Andrew couldn’t refuse that. Andrew walked over and leaned against his side, letting Neil wrap his arm around him. It was crowded with five people in four feet of floor space, but it was the comfortable kind of crowded Andrew rarely felt. 

After lunch, they carried their bags up to their rooms. Athena got her own room, with furniture she had never seen before because it had been updated to a big girl room since the last time she had been there. 

“Look at my bed,” Athena called as she jumped on it. 

Andrew caught her on the next jump and pulled her off. “I do not think we should break the bed that Ken made for you.”

“Okay, fine.” When Andrew put her down, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the study. “This is my library.”

“Really?” Andrew looked around at the desk and reading chair separated by a decently sized bookshelf. He sat on the chair and pulled her onto his lap. “Read me a book then.”

Neil found them there a few minutes later. Athena was so into her reading of the cat in the hat that she didn’t notice him watching them. Andrew smiled at Neil, and Neil smiled back. He looked young and free-standing there in his raggedy jean shorts, faded t-shirt, and old floral snapback. Neil had an amazing ability to look twenty-seven or seventeen depending on his mood, and his outfit, but more so his mood. 

“Hey baby,” Neil said when Athena finished the book.

She jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. 

“Deb is making cookies if you want to help.”

Athena jumped up and walked past him, forgetting all about Andrew in her excitement. Neil turned to him when she was gone, chuckling at her antics.

“I unpacked all of our stuff,” Neil said, holding out a hand to him. 

Andrew took it and followed him into their room. It was brightly lit thanks to the big window. It was the room of a teenager, with a desk and a reading chair next to it. The dresser was small, but they didn’t bring much. Sleeping in the queen-sized bed would be better than sleeping in the tent or bunk bed while camping. Zeus laid curled up at the foot of the bed, enjoying the air conditioning. 

The next few days were busy, yet calm. Athena showed Andrew around the property as she rediscovered it, Neil taught him how to refinish dressers and desks, then they started building a bookshelf together from scratch. Deb made him learn how to cook, just as she had with Neil. The only person he didn’t spend any alone time with was Ken, which he learned wasn’t against him, Ken was just a quiet man. 

They ignored the fourth of July because none of them liked it. Andrew and Athena sat on the front porch watching the neighbors fireworks while Neil and Zeus stayed inside. Neil said it sounded too much like gunshots for his comfort. Deb and Ken felt the same way, turning in early and spending the entire night locked away in their bedroom. 

The next morning everything was back to normal. They woke up early with Athena, somehow Deb and Ken were always up first no matter how early Athena dragged them downstairs. Then they helped do the chores, caring for rabbits and the new chickens, then headed out to the shop to work on their next refurbishing project. The shop was a new build Ken had added last summer in lieu of Neil and Athena visiting. Neil had to adjust to where everything was compared to where it had been in the old barn which now served as the animal’s homes. 

When Deb and Ken went into town on the sixth of July Neil pulled out some craft supplies and sat Athena down at the kitchen table. 

“Can you make a card for Ken for Father’s Day?” Neil handed her a piece of paper and a crayon. 

Athena looked up at him with her big blue eyes. “And daddy?”

“If you want to.”

Andrew forced himself to loosen his jaw. Neil deserved a father’s day card more than he ever would. “If you are making me a card, you need to make Neil one too.”

“Duh,” Athena said without looking up from her current drawing. 

“Athena,” Neil chided. 

“Sorry.”

Neil walked over to the fridge to start lunch and Andrew followed behind. 

Andrew looked to Athena to make sure she wasn’t paying attention and dropped his voice. “I thought we were not doing Father’s Day.”

“She just makes a card and says happy Father’s Day.” Neil shrugged. “It’s not like we really celebrate, besides Father’s Day was like a month ago.”

“Yes, Neil. It was like a month ago, which is why I thought we were not doing anything.” Andrew ran a hand through his hair. “Her birthday is tomorrow, we have plans for that. You never mentioned this.”

Neil shrugged again. “I’m sorry. I forgot until right now, it’s not like I care about it.”

Andrew sighed and put his hand on the other side of Neil’s head so he could pull him in and kiss his hair, then whisper in his ear. “You are a great dad, you deserve to be celebrated.”

Neil pulled back and side-eyed him. “What are you thinking?”

“Let me make you breakfast?” Andrew asked. “That is all, just breakfast.”

“Fine,” Neil said, giving in. 

Athena refused to let them see her card when she was done with them. Instead, she ran and hid them in the study. Andrew could tell because it was the one door upstairs that squeaked when it opened. They had just finished putting the craft supplies away when the truck pulled in and Deb and Ken returned right in time to eat Neil’s homemade chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. 

Athena asked Deb to tuck her in that night, claiming she liked the way she read stories, but both Neil and Andrew saw her sneak into the study to grab the cards and then sneak downstairs with them in her hands. Neil laughed at her terrible sneaking, a contagious laugh that had Andrew joining in.

Andrew forced himself to get out of bed at 5 am so he could be the first one in the kitchen. The shower was running, telling him either Deb or Ken was already awake. He turned the light above the stove on and started cooking their farm fresh eggs and local bacon. By the time he was done he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, he didn’t bother to turn around as Neil walked up behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist. 

“You know, when you said you would make me breakfast, I thought it would be at a normal hour.” Neil yawned as he finished speaking, rubbing his face on Andrew’s hair.

“The only way to make you breakfast was to get up before the farmers.” He plated the food and turned to set it on the counter, dragging Neil along with him when he refused to let go. 

“Happy Father’s Day, Neil.” 

Neil hummed in his ear, barely awake. “You too, babe.”

That.

That wasn’t something Andrew was ready to hear. 

Athena making him a card while she was making Ken and Neil one was one thing. She was just turning seven that day, what did she know? Neil saying it meant something. 

Andrew was saved from replying as they were joined by the other couple of the house. 

“Bacon and eggs?” Ken asked, claiming a seat at the table. “My favorite.”

He read his card before grabbing any food, smiling at what he saw. Neil was right, there wasn’t any fanfare, it was just a little girl giving a card which little kids were known to do. They started eating as a group, but Andrew had to stop to get Athena when she called for him, and by the time he returned everyone else was done and the table was full of birthday things instead of Father’s Day things. They proudly displayed all three cards on the fridge.

“Nice hair, baby,” Neil said when they walked in. “Happy birthday.”

Athena twirled. “Daddy did my hair.”

“I see that.” Neil chuckled and sent Andrew an amused look, Andrew was getting better at doing her hair, but he still wasn’t very good. 

Athena accepted her birthday hugs from everyone and sat down to eat a fresh batch of eggs and bacon, with pancakes on princess plates that someone had made while Andrew was getting her dressed. 

“What do you want to do today?” Deb asked. “We’re going to bake your cake later.”

“Sprinkler!” Athena cheered. 

Oh, to be seven and only care about the simple things in life. Andrew had expected something grand when Neil told him he had plans, but looking back at the way they had handled Neil’s birthday this shouldn’t have surprised him. They were big on family time and having fun together, not grand gifts.

After breakfast, Athena headed out to help care for the animals while Andrew and Neil cleaned up the kitchen. Neil muttered about feeling old while Ken sat at the table and laughed at him behind his back. 

Before long they made their way outside, into the early heat of the day. They were all smothered in waterproof sunscreen as Neil set up the sprinkler. Deb pulled up a lawn chair and sat just outside the spray in her bathing suit. Andrew would have loved to join her, like Zeus did, but he was forced to run through the water over and over until Athena traded him for Ken. Laughter filled the air as Ken lifted her up onto his shoulders and walked through the spray like he hadn’t a care in the world. Neil dragged Andrew out of his chair as soon as he sat down and they started a game of chase with the other two which Athena always seemed to win no matter who’s team she was on. 

When it started to get hot Andrew made the executive decision that it was too much and they needed to go to the movies. After lunch, they piled into both trucks and went into town to find out what was playing. 

“Can I have an ice cream?” Athena asked in the theater. 

The concession stand screamed out ice-cold treats and Andrew wanted to say yes immediately. Instead, he turned to Neil and raised an eyebrow. 

“She didn’t ask me,” Neil said, sending him a raised eyebrow in return. 

Andrew chewed on his cheek as he thought. Ice cream in a dark theatre was sure to get everywhere, but it was her birthday and he wanted one too.

“Yeah, bug, let’s go get some ice cream.” Andrew held out a hand to her and they walked over together, leaving Neil and Zeus behind. 

The line was long, so they missed half the ads, but that was good. Athena ate a good portion of the ice cream before they went in, lessening Andrew’s worry about ruining her dress. Athena started in her own chair, quickly moving to sit on Ken’s lap when the movie started. Andrew tried not to be jealous that she chose him, especially given that she rarely saw him, but it was hard when she normally sat on his lap during movies. 

Secret Life of Pets 2 was better than the first one in Andrew’s opinion, but Neil disagreed. Athena barely remembered the first one well enough to judge and the other two had never seen it, so they agreed to disagree. Zeus sniffed Andrew’s leg, smelling the spot of ice cream Athena had gotten on him, which he tried to use as proof that Zeus agreed with him and not Neil. Sadly, Athena said that it didn’t count. 

They were all tired from the exciting day when they got home. Athena dragged Neil out on the porch to play with her, and everyone else left them alone. Andrew couldn’t imagine how hard the day must be for her. It was her birthday, and she was excited about that, but it was also the day her mother died. The knowledge that her mother died giving birth to her would taint every birthday for her entire life. 

Deb walked up behind Andrew as he watched them platform the window. “Ready to make dinner?”

Andrew nodded, turning to go with her, but she stayed where she was. 

“I get that you want to be out there with them,” Deb said sadly. “I do too, but this is an experience they share that no one else will ever understand.”

Andrew nodded again. “I know.”

Deb patted him on the back. “That doesn’t mean they don’t still need you.” 

“I know that too.”

Andrew turned and headed into the kitchen, not waiting to hear what else Deb had to say. He knew she’d keep going while they were cooking if she truly needed to talk to him. Frozen chicken nuggets, a salad, and Kraft Mac and Cheese were done in less than half an hour, half of which was spent waiting for the oven to heat up and the water to boil. Cooking to please a seven-year-old was incredibly easy. Andrew had laughed when she told him what she wanted to eat for her birthday, it was exactly what he would have chosen at her age. 

He walked to the window and watched them sitting together on the porch before gently knocking on the screen door to let them know he was there.

“Dinner time,” Andrew said when neither of them looked over. 

“Be there in a minute,” Neil replied. 

Neil hugged her closer, setting his cheek on her hair and taking a deep breath. Andrew wanted to go out there and hug him, but that wasn’t what he needed. Athena, Neil, and Zeus, their little family. Despite what he had told Deb, it was hard to accept that there were some things they needed each other for more than they needed him for. Maybe someday he’d be out on that porch too, but for now, he had to sit back and watch. 

Andrew headed into the kitchen to set the table, only to find that it was already set. He sat down and waited a moment, hearing tiny footsteps running through the house with Neil calling after her to slow down. 

“My favorite,” Athena said as she walked in. “I love chicken nuggets. Look, Daddy, they’re shaped like dinosaurs.”

“I know, how cool is that?” Andrew asked. 

Neil sat down next to him and muttered about how much better homemade chicken nuggets would be than frozen ones until Andrew kicked him under the table. 

After dinner, Athena and Deb got started on the cake. It would be done right when Athena was supposed to be heading upstairs to take a shower, but Neil said it was okay for her to stay up late on her birthday. She laughed as a little cake batter hit Deb in the face as she turned on the mixer. Andrew wondered what Neil was thinking as he watched them. He knew that he had no memories like this of their mother, but maybe he could imagine another life as he watched them together. 

Neil walked over and laid his forehead down on Andrew’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him. Andrew hugged him back easily. It was hard to remember that even at the beginning of their relationship this touch would have been difficult. It felt like years ago. 

“Long day?” Andrew whispered in Neil’s ear. 

Neil hugged him tighter. “Long, but good.”

When the cake went in the oven they sat down and played Uno, which Andrew managed to win. It was hard to stack the card in Athena’s favor like he normally did with Candy Land. Neil won the next round, then Athena won the last one right as the cake was coming out of the oven.

“Can I have some?” Athena asked immediately. 

“It needs to cool so we can frost it,” Deb said, putting it on the counter.

“But I want to eat it warm,” Athena whined. It was becoming clear it was her bedtime. 

Deb gave in and cut the cake, giving Athena a small, warm piece. She sat down, smiling brightly as she ate it. Andrew wasn’t sure if it was because she had won the argument or if she liked hot cake. Neil ate a few bites too, making a face at it, then fed some to Andrew. Eating it warm was different, he definitely preferred it to be cool and iced first. 

After cake, they sent Athena up to shower alone. They had been working on her doing that all summer, getting her used to at least attempting to wash her hair alone. As much as Neil wanted her to be little forever he was aware that seven-year-olds could bathe themselves. They still helped her dry it and brush it out, but she was even getting the hang of that. Before long she wasn’t going to need them to help her at all. It would save them a lot of time and effort in the evenings, but neither of them were ready for how quickly she was growing up. 

Freshly showered, with her hair in two neat Neil braids, she sat on her bed and read them Green Eggs and Ham. When she started to lean on Andrew he took over, and before long she was dozing off. He kept reading until he finished the book, then Neil carefully lifted her off of him and laid her down, kissing her head when he was done. Andrew climbed off her bed and pulled the blankets up, making sure she would be warm and cozy in the air conditioning, then kissed her head too. 

They went to the door and stopped, watching her sleep for a little while. 

“She’s seven,” Neil said, leaning on Andrew.

“Seven is not that old.” Andrew wrapped his arm around Neil and pulled him closer. 

“No, but yesterday she fit in the palm of my hand, and tomorrow she’ll be going off to college.”

Andrew huffed out a laugh. “Alright dad, I think it’s time for bed. You are not making sense.”

Neil rubbed his nose over Andrew’s shoulder. “Trust me, okay? That’s what it feels like.”

“I know.” Andrew used his arm wrapped around Neil to lead him away from her room. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Once they brushed their teeth and took Zeus outside, they fell into bed. Andrew wrapped around Neil, soaking up his warmth, and enjoying the closeness. Neil was out within seconds, showing just how tired he was. Zeus lifted his head when Neil fell asleep, looking at Andrew and blinking slowly like he was saying ‘this kid, am I right?’. Or maybe Andrew needed to get some sleep just as much as Neil did. 

The next week passed like the last. They had been there for fourteen days, Andrew didn’t know what day of the week it was, just what project they were working on. He liked watching Athena tend to the garden with Deb as he worked on sanding down furniture. Ken had half the town asking him to work on some dresser or desk, apparently, everyone knew he was good at it, and he only charged for supplies not labor. It was a good way to pass time, they were staying active while also accomplishing something, which is more than he could say for exy. 

The only problem with their perfect set up was that the longer they were there, the less he and Neil touched. It went from a kiss goodnight and sleeping pressed together to just a kiss goodnight because Neil said it was too hot with Andrew and Zeus pressed up against him. Last night Neil had fallen asleep before even kissing Andrew good night. He tried not to take it personally, but it was hard not to. They spent all day together, rarely separating. Even if they weren’t talking, they were only a few feet apart as they worked on the same project. 

Andrew tried not to dwell on it, but he lost the battle against himself while Neil was in the shower that night. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Neil to come back, trying and failing not to pick at his own nails. He should have talked to Aaron about it when they talked earlier, but he had been stuck in his own head so much he wasn’t able to sort his thoughts into words. 

“Hey,” Neil said as he walked in wearing only a pair of loose shorts. Andrew’s shorts. 

“Are we okay?” Andrew asked, not bothering to come up with a better question. 

Neil turned to him, letting the towel drop to the ground. “Yes, why?”

When Andrew didn’t reply immediately Neil walked over and stood between his legs.

“What’s wrong?” Neil ran his hands through Andrew’s hair and scratched at his scalp, making Andrew close his eyes. 

“We have not done anything since we got here, we’ve barely kissed.” Andrew opened his eyes and looked at Neil. “I understood why we did not do anything while we were camping, but I am lost here.”

Neil blinked at him, carefully taking his hands out of his hair and putting them on Andrew’s shoulders. Neil pushed him backward and Andrew let himself fall onto the bed, hearing it groan in protest of his weight. Andrew stared up at him and waited to see what he would say next. After a moment Neil leaned forward and put his hand on Andrew’s chest, pushing him further into the bed. It groaned again, louder this time as a spring dug into Andrew’s back. 

“That’s why,” Neil said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Andrew tilted his head to the side, waiting for an explanation.

“The bed?” Andrew asked. 

“The bed squeaks.” 

“The bed… squeaks?”

Neil huffed. “The bed squeaks.”

Andrew rubbed his hand over his face. “You could have told me that.”

“I didn’t think about it, it seems obvious to me. You knew why we didn’t do anything while we were camping, I didn’t think I needed to explain.” Neil offered Andrew a sad smile, still standing over him. “If something like this is bothering you, you need to tell me. I can’t read your mind.”

Andrew ran his hand through his hair. “I did not want to push you to do anything you did not want to do.” 

“Asking me a question or letting me know how you feel is not the same as pressuring me.” Neil squinted at Andrew. “How long has this been bothering you?”

“Two weeks,” Andrew admitted. 

“Since we got here? Andrew...” Neil looked around the room.

Andrew tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling. “If I am sexually frustrated, that is my problem, not yours.”

“How is it that we are spending more time together and communicating less?”

“I apologize, Neil.”

Neil leaned over him again, grabbing his hand and pulling him up for a shy kiss. 

“You know, if you had mentioned this earlier I would have thought of the armchair over there. It doesn’t squeak.” Neil pulled his hand until he was standing, then guided him over to the chair, pushing him down when he was close enough. 

“I should remind you, you are the one that likes to be manhandled,” Andrew said as he looked up at Neil from the chair. 

Two weeks of worrying, all because the bed squeaked. Andrew had noticed on the first night, but he hadn’t thought anything of it, lots of beds squeaked. Neil shushed him as he ran his hands over his chest and straddled his thighs. 

“I’m ready to do something now,” Neil whispered against Andrew’s mouth. “What do you think?”

Andrew kissed him in response, letting his worry drift away as Neil’s mouth reminded him he was loved. They needed to talk about it more, but that was enough for now. They ended up on the floor, both shirtless as they continued kissing and getting reacquainted. Between kisses, Neil reminded Andrew that he was a-spec and he didn’t really think about anything sexual when he didn’t see it as an option. Andrew assured Neil that he would just talk to him next time he felt sexually frustrated. With that out of the way Andrew ran his hands up Neil’s bare back and pulled him closer, drawing more comfort from his kisses. 

Without warning, the door opened. 

“Hey Neil, why is Zeus out--” Deb stopped short. “Neil?”

Neil popped up over the side of the bed. “Here.”

“Where’s Andrew?”

Andrew stared at the ceiling from his spot on the floor and raised his hand, waving it, hoping she could see it over the bed. 

“Why are you two on the floor? Oh, oh.” The door clicked shut. “Good night.”

Neil groaned and fell back on Andrew’s stomach, covering his face as he grew pink. Footsteps hurried away from their room, faster than Andrew would have thought possible for a woman with a bad knee. 

“I am never talking to her again,” Neil said through his hands. “Ever again, Andrew.”

Andrew ran his hand through Neil’s hair. “She didn’t see anything.”

“What does she think we were doing?” Neil rolled over and hugged Andrew. “I doubt its pg.”

Andrew let Neil sit there for a little while, rubbing his back and patting his hair, then made him sit up so he could go get Zeus. Once Zeus was in the room, Andrew managed to get Neil to get into bed and calm down. He realized it was normal embarrassment from a parental figure walking in on them and not a panic attack, but that didn’t mean it was any easier to deal with. It took Neil forever to fall asleep, when he did he slept poorly, which meant Andrew and Zeus did too. 

When Athena came into their room, the next morning Andrew got up with her, fixing her hair and making her breakfast himself. Ken was already out in the barn, and Deb was nowhere to be seen. Athena chatted away, not mentioning the change in routine, though she seemed to notice. She helped Andrew wash the breakfast dishes and headed off to see what Ken was doing when she was done.

“Good morning,” Deb said, appearing as Athena left. 

“Morning.” Andrew poured himself a cup of coffee and looked around the room to find something Neil would be willing to eat. “We were not doing anything when you walked in, by the way.”

Deb sent him a stern look like she wasn’t happy being lied to. “Why were you on the floor?”

“The bed squeaks, Neil does not like the sound.” Andrew decided on a bagel and threw one in the toaster. 

“Why does it matter if the bed squeaks it you weren’t doing anything?” Deb asked like she had cornered Andrew into admitting something. 

“Because Neil does not like the sound.” Andrew turned and grabbed the cream cheese from the fridge, acting like the conversation was of no importance. “If you really must know, we were laying together and talking through some things. And there may have been some kissing mixed into the talking.”

Deb narrowed her eyes. “You know, I’ve been meaning to replace that bed. Maybe Neil would do me a favor and make a new bed frame.”

“I’ll do it,” Andrew said, turning to her and fully joining the conversation. “He does not need to know, it can be a surprise.”

“I don’t know how I’ll get a new mattress in the house without him seeing it.” Deb sighed. “Neil hates surprises. And yet. And yet, you seem to be extremely fond of surprising him.”

“Maybe he needs a bit more mystery in his life.” Andrew turned back to the food and finished making Neil his plate. 

He took it up and left it with Neil, who was pretending to be focused on whatever math nonsense he was reading on his phone. It was the kind of childish thing Andrew had not expected from Neil, who was normally so good at dealing with his problems. Something about parents walking in on their kids would always be awkward. 

Andrew went out to the barn, finding Ken and Athena playing with the rabbits. He sat down in the pen and let the fluff balls hop all over him until Athena got bored and went to play with Deb. 

Getting Ken to agree to make Neil something without telling him was difficult, but he agreed when Andrew promised to take all the blame for it. Within an hour they had a plan drawn up and were heading off to the hardware store to get everything they needed to finish the project. Ken said it would take a couple of days at least, Andrew pressed him to make sure it was done by the 19th when Deb and Ken were taking Athena to the fair. He wanted to have a nice, relaxing day with Neil. Neither of them mentioned why they would want to be alone with a new bed, they didn’t need to talk about those things. Andrew was incredibly thankful that Ken was a quiet man because anyone else would have made at least one crude comment. 

Neil was done sulking the next day, even if he had a hard time meeting Deb’s eye, and it was hard for Andrew to keep him out of the shop where they were making the bed frame. He had to tell Neil they were making him something, but he refused to even hint at what it was. Andrew would have told him if he directly asked, they had an agreement about that. Neil chose to pout instead of asking, though he knew that would never work. He was forced to spend more time with Athena than Andrew for a few days, which was probably a good thing.

Deb bought a mattress and had it delivered to the neighbors, then had it brought over to the shop while Neil was in the shower that night. It took a lot of work to get the frame done in three days, even with it being incredibly simple by Ken’s standards, but they were both happy with the handcrafted look and dark stain on the end product. 

On the 18th, Deb sent Neil to the store to pick up a few things, then texted him more and more items every ten minutes to keep him out for a few hours. Ken and Andrew carried his old bed out of their room, then carried the new frame up and put it together. It was a lot of work to get it up the stairs with their large height difference. Deb was having a bad knee day and couldn't help. Instead, she sat in the kitchen with Athena and laughed at them. They finished just as Neil texted that he was heading back, regardless of whether or not Deb needed anything else. 

Deb and Ken loaded Athena up in the truck with a picnic lunch and then they headed to the park, giving Andrew just enough time to make the bed and rinse off in the shower before Neil got home. Andrew dressed in a pair of nice shorts and a short sleeve button up to meet Neil at the door as he walked in. 

Neil eyed him but didn’t comment. “Help me carry the groceries in?”

“Obviously.” 

It took three trips because Deb sent him a list of nearly a month’s worth of food, just to keep him busy for two hours. They put it away together as quickly as possible, then Andrew grabbed the picnic lunch Deb had made for them. 

“Where is everyone?” Neil asked when Andrew grabbed the basket of food.

“They went to the park.” Andrew walked over to the stairs, sending Neil a look to follow him. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Upstairs?” Neil asked, making a face. 

“Yes.” Andrew started up the stairs, not waiting for Neil to catch on, causing at the top to make sure Neil would follow. 

He paused in front of their bedroom door and gestured for Neil to open it. Neil looked at him, then at Zeus and sighed, pushing it open without looking. Andrew walked forward, crowding him with the basket until he turned toward the room.

Neil looked in, then turned around and looked at Andrew. “Did you buy a new bed?”

“Buy? I spent three days in the heat of the shop to make you a bed, and you accuse me of buying it?” Andrew pushed Neil into the room, setting the basket of food on the bed. 

Neil ran his hand over the wooden footboard. “You made this?”

“Ken may have helped,” Andrew admitted. 

Neil laughed. “Ken may have done all of it?”

“Hey, I did some of it too.” Andrew enjoyed watching Neil smile as he took in the bed, running his hands over it. “Do you like it?”

“It’s okay.” Neil laughed again, sending Andrew a toothy smile. “I love it. You didn’t have to.”

“This is purely selfish. I just want to get laid.” 

Neil rolled his eyes. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

“Try it, it does not squeak.” Andrew pushed Neil toward the bed, chuckling when he threw himself on it. 

“Would you look at that? It doesn’t squeak.” Neil reached his leg out and hooked his foot on Andrew’s thigh. “Come, try it with me.”

Andrew laid down next to him, wrapping him in a hug when Neil rolled closer and kissed his hair. 

“You didn’t have to make me a bed,” Neil whispered on his cheek. 

“Like I said, purely selfish reasons.” Andrew hugged Neil tighter until he groaned.

“Oh, so you didn’t do it to make me more comfortable?” Neil asked.

“That may have been part of it,” Andrew admitted. “A very small part of it. Look at the door.”

Neil sat up and looked. “Is that a lock?”

Andrew sat up next to him. “Yes, and that was purely to make you more comfortable.”

“You are amazing.” Neil said as he pulled Andrew in for a kiss.

“You deserve to be comfortable in your own space, Neil,” Andrew said when they stopped to catch their breath. “Ready to eat lunch?”

Neil pulled Andrew closer by the shirt collar, sliding his hands down to unbutton it as he leaned in for a kiss. “I have other plans first.”

The next morning Athena left bright and early with the Brownings for the fairground. Deb assured them it was going to be an all-day trip, adding a wink in at the end. They could have done anything with a new bed and a day alone, but they chose to make up for their lack of intimacy over the last two weeks by staying in bed, kissing and talking the day away. They got up to take Zeus out and make snacks a few times, but always found their way back into the bed, curled up together, trading simple kisses and little secrets. 

Now that they had a new bed that didn’t make any noise, the rest of the trip flew by. They still played with Athena and spent all day together working on furniture, but at night instead of worrying about what Neil was thinking Andrew got to kiss him into the mattress and run his hands over him until he was left shivering. They more than made up for the rocky start to the month as they relearned each other. It had the added bonus of helping both of their moods and making their days even more fun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Talk to me on Tumblr](https://autumnalpalmetto.tumblr.com/) my ask box is open  
> [Talk to me on twitter](https://twitter.com/autumnalhogwart)  
> I do things like update everyone on the schedule and answer questions on both of those.


	3. Nicky's wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I have no new schedule for posting bc I can't make myself write anymore but hopefully, it'll be like next week maybe two weeks and not four months again
> 
> I mean, 2020 has not been a good year for any of us, am I right?

Even after seven years of being Neil Josten, he still hated airports. Checking in, waiting for over an hour with an excited child, sitting in cramped seats, and trying to keep Athena entertained, none of it sat well with Neil. He wasn’t worried about being caught anymore—not like he had been as a kid—but he was still worried about keeping track of Athena and keeping Andrew calm. With how often Andrew traveled for work, Neil was surprised to find out he hates flying. On one side of him, Athena stared out the window in awe, on the other side of him Andrew clutched his hand as he listened to an anxiety meditation on his headphones. 

Neil stroked his thumb over Andrew’s wrist as he watched Athena bounce up and down in her seat. Once they were in the air, his negative feeling about airports faded and Neil was able to enjoy the view with Athena. They were in business class solely because it was the only place they could get three seats together. In first-class there were only two seats next to each other. Neil didn’t care, but Andrew complained about it, probably to give him something to focus on other than the flight. Zeus just barely managed to sit at their feet, taking up the foot room of all three of their seats, a feat that would not have worked on economy. 

Holding hands was about all they were comfortable doing in such a public face, they had never even kissed in front of their family members, let alone anyone else. Other than Athena, of course, they both enjoyed her reaction when they kissed in front of her. 

“Look, we’re above the clouds.” Athena grabbed Neil’s free hand and pulled him closer. 

Neil pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Can you take a picture for me?”

Athena snapped a few blurry shots. “Mhm, and then we can send them to Gigi and Deedee and uncle Aaron.”

“We’re going to see Aaron tonight, baby bear.”

“Tonight?” Athena yelled.

Neil shushed her. “Inside voices on the plane. Yeah, Nicky and Erik are already there, and Aaron and Katelyn will get there at the same time we do.”

“I love him.” Athena looked up at him with her big eyes and Neil couldn’t help but smile at her.

“I know you do, baby.”

She snapped another picture and turned the phone toward him. “I’m going to take a million pictures to show him.”

“I don’t think my phone can hold that many pictures, but you can try.”

Once she was focused on taking photos of everything in the plane Neil let his head drop to Andrew’s shoulder for a moment, just long enough for him to feel like they were cuddling and then he lifted it again. There was a big difference between cuddling in front of their friends and family and cuddling in a plane in front of random people. 

The trip was quick, just a little over two hours, but with Athena’s excitement and Andrew’s terror, it felt like days. Andrew never took off his headphones the entire time, and Neil couldn’t blame him. His palms were sweaty and his heartbeat on his wrist was elevated. Every now and then he would squeeze Neil’s hand and Neil would squeeze back. Holding his hand for two hours while it was so sweaty was gross, but Neil dealt with it. If he could make Andrew’s feel even a little safe, it was worth it.

When they landed, they had to wait in line for a car rental, where Andrew picked out a sensible minivan. The vehicle was great for holding their entire family and hauling things to the wedding venue, but it was not Andrew’s style. Neil held back a laugh when Andrew climbed in looking like a grumpy toddler. 

They went straight to a park when they left the airport. Athena needed to run around after sitting for so long, Neil needed to move, and Zeus deserved a chance to stretch too after being too cramped for two hours. 

“Go jog,” Andrew said, pushing Neil forward. “I know you want to.”

Neil smiled at him. “Keep an eye on Athena?”

“You know I will.” Andrew rolled his eyes and he pushed him again.

Once Neil was on the track, jogging his way around the park he felt settled for the first time since he got out of bed that morning. Zeus kept pace with him, reminding him that he was always looked after. While Neil had been watching Andrew and Athena all morning, Zeus had been watching him.

By the time they made it to the house, they were all ready for lunch. Andrew pulled the minivan into a large Air BnB they were renting with Andrew's family for the next two weeks. Two other rental cars sat in the driveway. Everyone was there. After the last month with his family, Neil wanted nothing more than a week to himself. The two days they spent at home in New York as they unpacked from that trip and repacked for this one were not anywhere near long enough. 

Nicky opened the door before they were even out of the car, running up to the van and chatting excitedly. Athena looked at him like he’d grown a second head, and Neil couldn’t blame her.

“How was your flight? Well, it was short so it was probably fine.” Nicky jumped in place and clapped his hands. “Come on, come on. Hurry up.”

Andrew handed him a bag to carry in as they started to unload the car, ignoring him.

“Okay, I think I already told you but I don't remember.” Nicky put the bag down and clapped again. “There’s only three bedrooms, so y’all have the master and they put a twin bed in the sitting room between the bedroom and the closet for Athena. Can you believe this house is so big that there’s a sitting room in the master? I mean, like, wow.”

“That’s incredible.” Neil looked over the house, imagining living in a place like that someday. “Who picked this place?”

“Erik and I wanted to rent two houses next to each other, but there weren’t any so he’s in-” Nicky looked around the neighborhood, waving his arm down the street. “That blue one over there.”

“Why-”

Andrew put a hand over his mouth to stop Neil. “Do not ask. They are weird and traditional.”

Nicky rolled his eyes. “We can’t live together before the wedding, duh.”

Neil looked between Andrew and Nicky. “But you already live together?”

“I just said don't ask.” Andrew walked past them carrying in two suitcases at once. 

Athena followed behind him, carrying her bunny in one hand and her backpack in the other, perfectly copying his stance. Neil smiled at the sight, his little family warned his heart with the simplest interactions. 

“Sorry about him,” Neil said, turning to Nicky and offering him a quick smile. “He… yeah, you know.”

“He’s always like that? Yeah, I know.” Nicky shrugged and started walking to the house. 

Neil stood frozen for a moment. “No, I meant he’s on edge because he hates flying.” 

It was Nicky’s turn to freeze. “What?”

“Andrew hates flying?”

“Huh,” Nicky said with another shrug, moving toward the door again. “I didn't know that.”

Athena ran out the door before Neil could respond. “Hey Neil, come look, come look. Come on, come on, come on.”

“Let me put this stuff in our room first.” Neil walked through the front door and into a spacious living room.

He set the bags down when he saw what Athena was trying to get him to check out. On the other side of the living room was a wall of doors, all opening into the backyard and showing off a large in-ground swimming pool. Athena grabbed Neil’s hand and pulled him across the living room until they were standing in the doorway.

“This house has a pool,” Athena shouted, jumping with joy. “Can we go swimming?”

Neil didn’t want to get in the water now or anytime soon, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to put that on Andrew for the next two weeks. His discomfort with water was something he needed to face, just as he had in June, but he’d already dealt with the airport today and he was not in a place where he could do two big things in one day. 

“You’ll have to ask Daddy,” Neil said. 

He hated pushing things off on Andrew without talking to him first, especially when he’d dealt with his fear of flying, but he didn’t want to assume it was a no either.

“I can take her,” Katelyn said, walking out of a doorway off to the side of the living room. 

She was already in her bikini, so Neil didn’t feel like he was making her do anything. Even though she had offered, he still felt like it was something he should be doing himself. Athena learned a lot about swimming in June, but that was over a month ago and she still had a lot more to learn. Neil took a deep breath and let go of the idea that he had to be the one to teach Athena everything. There was nothing wrong with letting people help him. 

“Sure, why don’t you go find your swimsuit baby bear.” He laughed as she ran through the doorway exactly opposite the one Katelyn had come out of. “Thanks, Katelyn.”

“Oh, no problem, go get some rest.” She walked outside and smiled up at the sun with her eyes closed. “Send her out when she’s ready.” 

Neil walked through the doorway after Athena, looking for where she could have gone. To the right, there was a bathroom, and a bedroom it looked like Nicky had already moved into. To the left was only one door, which was closed. Neil knocked on the closed door, only having to wait a second before Andrew opened it, letting Neil into a giant room with a king-sized bed. Athena pulled her suitcase off the bed and dragged it down the hallway inside that room that must lead to the closet and sitting area where her bed would be. Neil peaked in to see her digging through her suitcase in front of a twin bed and an armchair. 

“This house is huge.” Neil turned and looked at Andrew. “I want to live in a house like this one day.”

Andrew held out his hand so Neil could walk into his arms. “I thought you wanted a big farmhouse like your parents?”

“You’re a famous Exy player, aren’t you supposed to have like five houses for no reason?”

Andrew chuckled and kissed Neil’s cheek. “I knew you were just with me for the money.”

“Obviously.” 

Neil wrapped his arms around Andrew and hugged him, breathing in his comforting scent. Exhaustion hit him and he was ready for a nap, he reached down and pet Zeus when he leaned on his leg and let Andrew hold more of his weight.

When Athena was ready to go they sent her out to Katelyn and Neil laid down on the bed watching Andrew change into his swim shorts. Andrew looked over at him a few times but didn’t say anything, so Neil looked his fill. Even while wearing sunscreen all day every day, Andrew had a cute tan line on his arms and neck, and the month of woodworking at the farm had kept his arms in perfect shape. Those same features on someone else wouldn’t have phased Neil, but on Andrew he loved them. He loved everything about Andrew. Sometimes so much it made his stomach churn. No one had ever told him the classic ‘butterflies in your stomach’ felt a lot like a mix of anxiety and attraction. 

Andrew threw his shirt on Neil’s face. “What are you doing?”

“Watching you.” Neil shook his head until the shirt fell off of his eyes. “Am I not allowed to do that?”

“You’ve never seen me naked before and I need to take these off-” Andrew pulled on the band of his boxers with one hand and held up his trunks with the other-“to put these on.”

“Now’s a good time, don't you think?” Neil scooted closer to the edge of the bed, holding out his arm so Andrew could walk closer. “Nothing’s going to happen while Athena’s sharing a room with us, so it’s safe.”

Andrew snorted as he ran his hand through Neil’s hair. He wanted to purr, but he held it back, opting to wrap his arm around Andrew’s bare waist instead. A small kiss to his hip was unnecessary, yet incredibly pleasing. Andrew responded by pulling Neil’s hair until he looked up at him, locking him in place with his gaze.

“Don’t get me started.”

Neil wrapped both arms around Andrew and dragged him down, wrapping him in a tight hug once they were both on the bed. He kissed his cheek as an apology. 

“Sometimes I forget it works differently for you.” Neil kissed his cheek again, and a few more times just for good measure. “I wasn’t trying to turn you on.”

Andrew groaned. “I know and that makes it worse. You are being a fucking menace and you do not even realize it.”

Neil hummed with his lips against Andrew’s cheek, attempting to get him to laugh. It failed. “I would still like to see you naked.”

“You can’t fucking say things like that,” Andrew growled in Neil’s ear.

“Ugh, I already told you I’m not trying to turn you on.” Neil pouted, rolling them over so he could lie on Andrew’s chest. “I don’t want this to be just a sex thing. I want us to be comfortable around each other.”

“I am comfortable around you.” Andrew kissed his hair and wrapped him in a hug. “Quit pouting, I’ll think about it. Maybe once we get home?”

Neil nodded and let Andrew wiggle out from under him so he could go swimming with Athena. Before he went into the bathroom to finish changing Andrew tucked Neil and Zeus in and gave them both a kiss on the nose.

The next two weeks were a whirlwind of getting everything ready for the wedding. From meetings with florists to bakers and everything in between. Since they had planned the whole wedding from Germany, Nicky and Erik had never looked at anything in person, it was Andrew and Aaron’s job to make sure they put their eyes on everything before they finalized it. Neil, Athena, and Zeus spent most days hanging out at the rental with Katelyn while the others ran around town running errands. Neil offered to help, but Nicky wanted to keep it between the cousins. He claimed it was his last chance to bond with them before he was married. Everyone thought that was overdramatic, but they let it slide because arguing with Nicky at this point was sure to bring out his catty side. Whoever made the term Bridezilla had clearly never met Nicky. Andrew secretly called him Groomzilla behind his back. 

They made a rule that Andrew had to be done running errands by 4 pm so they could make dinner as a family and spend the rest of the night together. It helped them all calm down after the busy day. Neil had only expected Andrew and Athena to help him in the kitchen, but every night Aaron, Katelyn, and Nicky joined him. The only time it wasn’t all of them was when Nicky went down the block to have dinner with Erik’s family or when Erik came to eat with them. 

The large kitchen gave them more than enough room to have everyone join in on the cooking adventure. There weren't always enough tasks for everyone, but that didn’t matter. The family time, the laughter, that’s what mattered. 

“Hey, I was going to cut the peppers,” Aaron said as he elbowed Andrew to the side. “You’re supposed to be cutting mushrooms.”

Andrew elbowed his brother right back. “I finished my job and you are taking too long, let me do it.”

“No, it’s my job.”

Neil laughed at their bickering. From what Andrew had said, this was new for them. They’d somehow grown closer while living apart. Neil thought it was because they had to actively choose to be in each other’s lives now. When they lived together, there was no reason to put in any effort but now everything required effort. Neil took the time to tell them both he was proud of them, separately, of course, there was no need to start something by telling them together. 

“Can I help?” Athena asked, shoving her way in between Andrew and Aaron.

“Of course you can,” Aaron said, “hop on up and learn how to cut peppers.”

Andrew and Aaron worked together to teach Athena how to safely use a grown-up knife. Neil wanted to walk around and take a picture, but he knew they wouldn’t like it, so he took one of their backs. Athena in the middle of her dad and her uncle learning a new skill. 

“So Neil,” Nicky said as he hopped up to sit on the counter. “Ready for my bachelor's party tomorrow night?”

“I don’t drink.” Neil reminded Nicky about that almost every day, and yet he still asked. 

“I know, I know.” Nicky raised his hands in a defensive stance. “But my wedding is in like three days, and then we’ll all be parting ways. Tomorrow night is the last night to bond because the next day is one hundred perfect wedding prep and then the day after that I am Getting Married.”

Neil patted his arm in what he hoped was a supportive way. “Congratulations.”

“Would you two stop bickering and hurry up already, I’m hungry,” Katelyn snapped at the twins. 

Neil chucked. “Well, that’s my cue to get back to cooking.”

The next day was a blur. People had to be picked up from the airport at three different times. The gluten-free and vegan cakes had to be picked up from a specialty bakery on the other side of town. Andrew had to tell off a caterer on the phone when Nicky got too overwhelmed to handle it, and for the most part all Neil could do was watch and support his partner the best he could. 

Everyone going to the bachelor party would be spending the night in their AirBNB, so Neil saw when Matt and Dan pulled in. At first, he thought Nicky had invited them for him, but then he remembered that Dan was his captain for three years when he was in college, and Nicky had attended their wedding the year before. 

“Matty,” Athena yelled when she saw them walk in the door. “Come look at my pool.”

Neil led Matt outside to watch Athena and Katelyn in the water, then went to find Dan. he knew she was pregnant, but he had forgotten just what that meant. She looked ready to pop, even though she still had three months left. 

“Need any help?” Neil asked, watching her waddle through the house carrying her own suitcase. 

“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told my husband.” Dan pointed at him as she glared. “If you ask me that again, I will eat you, okay? If I need help, I will ask for it, until then fuck off.”

“Yes ma’am,” Neil said with a laugh. “I think you’re in with Katelyn down that hallway tonight. I have no idea where Nicky wants all his friends to sleep, but I know Aaron won’t be in there tonight.”

“Got it.” 

Dan turned toward the doorway, barely managing to carry her things by herself. Neil knew an independent woman when he saw one, so no matter how much he wanted to help her, he kept his offer to himself. 

When Andrew got back with his brother and cousin everyone went into their own rooms to get ready for their evening. Andrew and Neil stayed behind when the others left so they could put Athena to bed. She was not happy about being left out of the party and was even more annoyed when none of the girls got to go, so they made a special dinner with her and watched a movie before bed. It meant they had to miss the bachelor party dinner and meet up with everyone at the club afterward, but a dad and daughter quiet night in was a hundred times better than any party could ever be. 

Neil watched her sleep while Andrew picked out clothes for him to go to the club in. He wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and snuggle with her in the big bed, but he had to go support, Nicky. They changed quickly and took a taxi to the club. Andrew was going to stay all night and look after his family, but Neil planned to leave around midnight with Matt. 

“There they are,” screamed Nicky over the mind-numbingly loud music as they walked over to the VIP section in the club. “They’re with me, Sal, let them in.”

Andrew nodded at the security guard, Sal, as they walked past. Neil had expected at least a weird look or two for bringing a service dog into the club, but no one seemed to care. At the table, there weren't enough chairs for both of them. Andrew sat down and spread his legs so Neil could sit on the edge of the chair between them. There was more than enough room for Neil to feel secure, but Andrew still wrapped his arm around Neil and placed the palm of his hand on his abdomen right above his belt buckle. Neil had no idea why Andrew had done that until he felt everyone staring at them. 

“Sorry,” Nicky said with a drunken laugh. “There was enough chairs but Roland let someone take the extra one a few minutes ago.”

A man across the table from them shrugged. “I didn’t know Andrew would be bringing someone.”

“Yes you did, don't be a dick, I told you about Andrew’s boyfriend like forever ago.” Nicky laughed again, swaying to the side a little. 

Andrew reached over and grabbed the cup out of his hand. “It’s not even ten slow down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Nicky tried to glare at him but failed. “You aren’t my mother.”

“Oh, that’s what this is about,” Andrew whispered in Neil’s ear. He knew Nicky and his parents were estranged because he was gay and they disowned him, but Neil hadn’t realized it would affect his wedding. In his mind, Nicky was better off without them, but he knew from experience that was easier to say from the outside. “Nicholas, listen to me because I am only going to say this one time, okay?”

Nicky nodded, sobering up a little at Andrew’s serious tone. 

“You have a family that loves you no matter what. Not despite you being gay, but because you are gay. Erik’s family would not have become your family if you weren’t gay, and I know you love them.” Andrew waited until Nicky nodded to continue. “Aaron and I love you more than your disgusting parents ever could. Focus on the love you do have, not the love you don’t.”

“Mhm, okay,” Nicky wiped a tear from his and leaned on the closest person to him, some guy Neil had never met. They hugged until Nicky could talk again. “I love you too.”

“I know.”

Neil leaned his head back on Andrew's shoulder and smiled at him. He wanted to kiss him and wrap his arms around him, but they were already pushing their own boundaries by sitting together like that. Admitting his feelings in front of so many people could not have been easy for Andrew, but he did it because he knew his cousin needed to hear it. Neil would not have been prouder. He felt something move against his hip and looked down to see that Andrew had his hand resting on Zeus’s head, using him to ground himself. 

The night went faster than Neil thought it would. Besides the random looks he caught from Roland, everyone was pleasant to be around. By the time he left, Neil was ready to sleep for a week, but he was also excited to get the venue ready for the wedding and send Nicky off to get married to the man he waited for for years. 

Athena woke him up significantly earlier than he would have liked, and he was incredibly thankful Dan’s baby woke her up around the same time craving waffles. Dan, Katelyn, and Athena went in search of waffles while Neil sipped his coffee on the couch with Zeus, he was just about to doze off when Andrew and Roland walked into the living room together, both looking like they’d had a rough night. 

Andrew froze when he saw Neil. “This is not what it looks like.”

Neil laughed. “It looks like you slept in your cousin’s room with his entire wedding party and woke up way too early because of it.”

“Then it is exactly what it looks like.” Andrew walked over to the couch and shooed Zeus off so he could flop down on it with his head on Neil’s lap. 

“Where’s Athena?”

“The girls went to get waffles.” Neil ran his hand through Andrew’s hair, gently rubbing his neck when he got to it.

Roland stood and watched them awkwardly for a moment. Finally, he decided to join them, curling up on the armchair and wrapping himself in a throw blanket someone had left out. He watched them for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning his head back.

“Your cousin fucking snores,” Roland said without moving.

“Don’t fucking start with me, you were snoring just as much as he was.” Andrew sat up and rolled his head from side to side. “Hey gorgeous, could you rub my neck?”

Neil sighed and rolled his eyes like it was a big ask, laughing when Andrew poked his cheek. Andrew settled on the ground between Neil’s legs, giving Neil full access to his neck. Neil started massaging the rock-hard muscles as gently as he could, hating every time he pressed too hard and made Andrew flinch. Rolland’s eyes popped open, and he watched for a few minutes until the girls came barging in through the door. 

“Daddy,” Athena yelled. She dropped the bag on the kitchen table and ran to Andrew, wrapping her arms around him.

“Be gentle with him, baby,” Neil said quietly. “He’s hungover.”

“No, I’m not,” Andrew argued.

“Yes, you are.”

Athena looked between them. “What's hungover?”

“It means daddy drank too much alcohol without eating enough or drinking enough water last night.”

“I just have a headache, bug.” Andrew patted her back to reassure her.

“Because you drank too much and didn't eat enough or have any water, hence why I called it a hangover.”

Andrew leaned his head back on Neil’s leg to look him in the eye. “I will bite you.”

Neil chuckled. “Hey, baby bear, why don’t you help Dan and Katelyn and I’ll go put daddy to bed. Alright?”

Athena nodded, kissing Andrew on the nose before skipping into the kitchen. 

“What?” Andrew growled when he caught Roland watching him. 

Roland rolled his eyes. “Nothing, it’s just weird to see you… like this.”

Andrew nodded as he stood up. “It’s weird to be like this sometimes.”

Neil grabbed Andrew’s hand and led him to their bedroom. He made Andrew change into his pajamas and tucked him in, kissing his forehead like he did with Athena. The plan was to tuck Andrew in and leave, but Andrew caught his arm and pulled him down on the bed. 

“Katelyn has Athena,” Andrew said with a yawn. “Sleep with me?”

Neil took off his shirt and wormed his way under the covers, wrapping himself around Andrew in the process. When Zeus hopped up on the bed and curled up on top of their feet, Neil couldn’t help but chuckle in Andrew’s ear.

“Good night babe,” Neil whispered to Andrew, who was already dozing off. 

It turned out Nicky was smart to leave a day between his bachelor's party and his wedding because everyone who went was extremely hungover. Andrew perked up after his nap. He hadn’t gotten drunk the night before, just drank more than he had in the last year, and forgot to hydrate as well. The rest weren’t so lucky, both Nicky and Aaron looked like they would cry every time a loud noise happened near them, and Roland self for almost eight hours in the armchair. 

Neil took all of Aaron’s jobs for the day, happy to finally have something to do other than wait at home for Andrew to return. Katelyn took Nicky’s jobs, and by the end of the day, they had the venue set up with everything other than food and flowers, which were all being delivered in the morning. 

When they got back to the house Andrew and Athena were swimming while the wedding party was being mothered by Dan. She forced Nicky and all of his friends to drink pedialyte and eat a healthy dinner. 

Dan smiled at Neil when he walked in. “You know, I’ve never been the maternal type, but I think I’m getting the hang of this.”

“Please, do not parent your child like this,” one of the groomsmen said. Neil thought his name might have been Mitch or Mike or something, but he couldn’t remember. It was the guy who’s shoulder Nicky had cried on the night before. 

Neil ignored the whining men and walked outside to bring his family their dinner, which he picked up on the way home when Andrew texted him that Dan was on a rampage. 

“Thank you,” Andrew climbed out of the pool and kissed him on the cheek.

“Gross, you’re all wet.”

Andrew shook his hair out above Neil, sending a cascade of droplets down on him. Neil pushed him away, laughing as he caught sight of Andrew’s small smile. Athena climbed out of the pool, giving Neil a hug and soaking him farther as she walked by. The day had been stressful, setting up the venue without Nicky’s input was rough, but that all melted away when he sat down in the patio chair and ate dinner with his family. 

The wedding day finally came, and the house was full of activity. Everyone was back to normal after a good night's sleep and Dan’s mothering. She was put in charge of keeping everyone on schedule thanks to her years of captaining the Foxes. They had to be dressed to leave by 11 am, giving them an hour to rehearse before people started showing up around noon for the wedding to start at 1 pm. 

Neil was thankful Andrew had picked out a light linen suit for him. The blush color was not one he would have picked for himself, but it was pretty and matched Athena’s overalls from the same fabric perfectly. They technically weren’t in the wedding party, but they got to watch the rehearsals anyway. Everyone was dressed and ready to go, Neil had no idea why they had to wait for guests to show up. A small wedding with just their closest friends would be more intimate. 

Andrew looked good in his gray suit, Neil surprised himself by thinking he wanted to tear it off of him. Those kinds of thoughts were rare for Neil, but not uncomfortable. He distracted himself by fiddling with the bowtie that Nicky had gotten for Zeus, Erik ended up not liking it with Zeus’s vest, but Athena wanted to keep it anyway so she could play dress-up with Zeus when they got home. 

The weather was cool for a South Carolina summer, but still too hot to be sitting in a church in a suit all day. Neil didn’t complain, no matter how much he wanted to go whine to Andrew. Neil sat in the front row with Erik’s cousins while the guest filed in. There were four open seats on his other side for Erik’s parents and grandparents. Athena sat and waited, looking around the room in awe. 

When the music started Andrew walked in first with Erik’s sister, then Aaron with Erik’s brother. As the rest of the wedding party filled in Neil kept his eyes on Andrew. He looked completely cool and collected, but Neil knew he was nervous. Beside him, Aaron looked just as put together, an exact copy of his brother.

The music changed and Neil turned around to see Erik walking in with his mom to his right and his dad to his left. They both gave him a kiss on the cheek when they got to the altar, then took two of the open seats in the front row. The song restarted and they all turned to see Nicky walk in with Erik’s grandmother on his right and Erik’s grandfather on his left. They each kissed both of his cheeks, then his grandmother reached out and wiped a tear from Nicky’s cheek. 

“We love you, Nicholas, more than you will ever know.”

Erik walked down the two steps from the altar and collected Nicky, wiping his eyes as they smiled together. Their vows were short and sweet, and then they kissed. Athena laid her head on Neil’s arm as they hugged at the altar, crying joyful tears together. 

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

Neil kissed her hair. “Yes, it is.”


End file.
